Breakdown of Marie doit passer un examen de mathématiques demain, et Paul va aussi passer un examen la semaine prochaine.
Paul
Paul
Marie
Marie
aussi
also
et
and
aller
to go
demain
tomorrow
de
of
prochain
next
la semaine
the week
devoir
to have to
l'examen
the exam
passer
to take
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Questions & Answers about Marie doit passer un examen de mathématiques demain, et Paul va aussi passer un examen la semaine prochaine.
Why is Marie’s clause using doit passer while Paul’s clause uses va passer?
Doit is the third-person singular form of devoir, which expresses obligation—indicating that Marie must take a mathematics exam. In contrast, Paul’s clause uses va passer, which is the aller + infinitive construction used to express a planned or near-future action (i.e., he is going to take an exam). This contrast highlights two ways in French to talk about future events: one through obligation and the other through intention.
How does the aller + infinitive construction work in Paul’s clause?
The aller + infinitive structure (here, va passer) is used to indicate a future event that is seen as planned or imminent. It is equivalent to the English "is going to..." construction. In this sentence, it tells us that Paul’s exam is scheduled for next week, implying a future event that he is about to undertake.
What does passer un examen mean in this context?
Passer un examen literally translates to "to take an exam." In French, it specifically means undergoing or sitting for an exam. It carries the same meaning as "to take an exam" in English, emphasizing the process of participating in the examination rather than the success or failure of it.
What is the role of aussi in Paul’s part of the sentence?
Aussi means "also" or "too." In the sentence, it indicates that Paul, like Marie, is involved in taking an exam. Its placement before passer helps link Paul's exam with Marie’s situation, reinforcing the idea that both are experiencing similar events even though they are scheduled at different times.
How are the time expressions demain and la semaine prochaine used?
Demain (tomorrow) and la semaine prochaine (next week) are temporal markers that specify when each exam will take place. Demain follows the description of Marie’s obligation, while la semaine prochaine concludes Paul’s clause. This clear placement at the end of each clause is typical in French to indicate the time of an action.
Why does Marie’s exam specify de mathématiques while Paul’s exam does not mention a subject?
In the sentence, Marie’s exam is described with de mathématiques to indicate that her exam is in mathematics—a relevant detail for her situation. Paul’s exam lacks a subject specification, which could be intentional to avoid redundancy or because the subject is either already understood from context or deemed unimportant to the overall message.